Flavoured Waters

What’s in that water?

Doctor Nadia Pateguana dives into flavoured waters.

Most of us aim to eventually do a clean fast - that means water and salt only. For this to happen, you need to “exercise that fasting muscle” and eventually drop the “fasting aids.” You have to lose the training wheels or crutches.

Problem is, many of us “crave” flavour. Adding flavour to your meals is great. But what happens when you add “flavour” between meals? It’s our understanding that, for autophagy, we should stay away from all flavours and nutrients (including pickle juice, bone broth and even lemon water).

But, what if you’re fasting for weight loss, for example, and are not yet looking into the benefits of autophagy? Is it ok or not to add some flavour during your fasts?

Well, it depends…

I find that our recommended fasting aids, within their stipulated limits, are absolutely fine. But how about flavoured waters? Adding lemon to your water, no problem, I think. How about commercially flavoured products? (I won’t mention any specific products here, but you know exactly which ones I mean)

A few weeks ago I had a client who DOUBLED her ketones after stopping commercially flavoured sparkling waters (she went into major fat burning mode, FINALLY). Then another one of my clients accepted “the challenge” of no commercially flavoured waters between meals, and sent me this email the next day:

“Hi Nadia,

You were right about the flavored seltzers!

After drinking nothing but water yesterday, I tested my glucose first thing this morning and it was 68!!! I couldn’t believe it… If it was ever low in the morning, it would be just under 100.”

Our labeling laws are not the best. When the ingredients are listed as “natural/artificial flavours” what the heck does that mean? Clearly, whatever it is, it’s raising my clients’ insulin!

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